There is something about freedom that when you don’t have it…it is only but so long you are willing to go without it. Or otherwise stated.. tolerate being in a state of non-freedom.

I am sure that for the past 20 years many in Egypt felt that they were doomed to being under submission to a tyrant, Hosni Mubarak, forever. And Mubarak under intense protest thought that he could wait it out… their riots in the streets and massive protests.

And then he thought to do it under his own terms… but they finally forced him out.

But once people start to see the light of day…and start to act out regarding their frustration of being under suppression there is no force which can turn that tide back around.

So, when the army came out in Mubarak’s defense…even the military could stop the desire of the people to be free.

In fact, this being Black History Month in America… one can easily equate the Civil Rights Movement to that of the move of the people in Egypt… except for this 1 fact. He had a man named Martin.

And the special thing about Martin was that he was a man of God.

The other thing about Martin was this… he understood the power of love. Or, you could call it this… non-violence.

It is hard really to really really understand this word ‘love’ in all of its great infinity.

It is deeper than we think.

But to Martin it was not.

In order to really understand the power of this word…truly… you have to experience it fully in its highest capacity.

Once while down at the registry…having to go in to renew my driver’s class. And what I really should say is this-

While being at the registry attempting to renew my driver’s license. It went like this…

I was given a number…and took a seat to wait on the calling of my number. But as I sat there they called every number but the letter beginning with the number sequence that the group of people waiting on that same sequence had like me.

So, I waited…and waited. And waited… and waited.

Finally, I stood up and had a fit in that place.

And I started shouting about where was ‘our’ numbers…and why wasn’t ‘our’ letter being called? And I was not joking.

WHAT IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH?
It is the month in which we bear witness to the progress, richness and diversity of African American achievement. During the 1920’s an African American named Carter G. Woodson created and promoted Negro History Week. This period in February was chosen because it included the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In 1976 the month-long celebration was implemented, and is a time for Americans to reflect on both the history and teachings of African Americans whose contributions are still too little known.Celebrate Black History Month with your family. Come learn about the achievements and history of African Americans by selecting the topic buttons below to view special pop-up sections:

I was fit to turn that place out. And evidently the supervisor on duty did not appreciate my outraged outburst.

This, however, I did not know. Not at that time…and not until a few days later.

But back to my story…finally our letter and numbers began to be call, and I finally got up to the window.

But there was a problem. They sent me from 1 window to another window…then to another window. Needless to say I was mad again …and ready to really tear up the place now.

By the time I got to the 4th window in this scenario I was boiling over. I mean I was mad. But the clerk was such a nice young girl I found it hard to be angry at her… though I wanted to take out my frustration on her. Everytime I tried I just couldn’t.

She was just too nice.

Finally, I broke down and said to her-

“Can’t you be mean or nasty. I just can’t be mad at you. Can you just not be so nice.”

She just smiled and kept right on apologizing about my bad experience that I was having that day at the registry.

Finally, I was sent away with no license. And I left out the DMV after having been there for nearly 4 hours…though a lot quieter but still mad. And I had gotten nothing done for my time spent.

A few days later I got a letter in the mail telling me it was okay to come back into the registry to get my license. That is when God shined a light into my life regarding that experience…and what ended up being my unexpected end.

Because my outburst had embarassed the person who supervising the clerks working the counter…she decided (supervisor) that I was not going to leave out of there with whatever I had come in there to do. And boy did they do it.

They had me walk from 1 window to another… sending me on a series of wild goose chases before turning me loose to go home… and without my license. And while making $100 poorer.

I now understood every smirk…and look that I had picked up on… but at the time they had not meant anything to me… because I was too mad to pay any attention to anything but to what I wanted to accomplish when I went into that office. It was all clear to me now… even down to the young clerk who had been so kind to me… and why she could have been so nice to a very nasty little me.

She had been made aware to the inside joke. I now remembered a woman calling the girl back to her and whispering something to her. So, no wonder the young girl could smile through my attempts to antagonize her in the heat of my anger. She had been told to plaquette me. And it had all been a joke… my going from 1 window to another… and sent here there and everywhere.

Martin did not attempt to plaguette anyone… but he clearly understood that through acts of non-voilence in the face of violent acts can be a more powerful weapon than kicking, spitting and hitting back. When you have the capability of restraining yourself from responding in an equal or like-matter to that of a prepetrator or an enemy... then you will have power over them. Because the act of violence or hate…or malice directed towards you is devised to get a negative response from you. And this Martin clearly understood… and also the power of showing a reverse response to that which is expected.

Martin didn’t just believe in the ideology of non-violence alone. He understood that love was a retractor that forced even your worst enemy to have to step back and reconsider his acts or actions towards you. It confuses them. They have to step back… scratch their heads… and wonder what’s wrong with you?

The first thing that start to consider is ‘maybe I didn’t beat him hard enough.’ Or ‘maybe I didn’t insult him enough.’ Maybe…maybe I need to threaten his family. Or tell him that I’m going to kill his wife…or maybe I need to call and whisper into his telephone and tell him-

“You better keep your eyes on your children.”

There is something about love… that deminishes fear…and rage. It can force change to come about. And so we celebrate Black History Month because of those people who got tired… and started walking and marching rather than continuing to accept mistreatment… insult… and dehumanization.

People who took the hits… the punches… and the spit in the face that I …my son… my nieces and nephews might walk in this country with the right to be as other people who come here… though not in chains and they never had to live as 2nd class citizens in this country… nor contributed half as much… as we to be recognized as bonifided citizens.

It is amazing that throughout all these years in this country all these great inventions and discoveries by black folks in American are still not regularly spoken of outside of our own circles. To think that somebody…and African American… ex-slave invented the railroad track switcher, the traffic lights, the steamship, the air conditioner, the yard rake, the water sprinkler, the cotton gin, blood plasma, potato chips, peanut butter and oh…….so so so so much much…much more.

It is not that we do not have great minds in our group…but minds that have never been recognized. Consider all that we have created and achieved with nothing to so little… Just imagine if our folks had been allowed in this country to patent their inventions or anything back in times past. Just how many millionaires and multi-millionairs…billionaires there would be within our community today. Oprah would not be out there all on her own. She might be in 3rd or 4th place behind some of these people… these great minds in Black History. And there would be plenty of money…and lots of ‘old’ money within the ranks of our own communites too. Legally obtained by both those highly educated…and those who worked in fields as well… creating items which made their labors a bit easier on them. Inventions of thing which today are highly commonplace items in all our homes… or in all of the world’s everday life.

Also, nobody can tell me that whatever that man’s name is… James Naismith really was the ‘real’ originator of basketball. A man from Massachusetts? Who started playing a game of ball that included peach baskets?

I think not.

It sounds more like that on a visit down South… he saw some black boys down in Georgia…the home of peaches… with an old ball and tossing it into a peach basket after getting in from a long day of working out in those Georgia peach fields. He saw them …and then Naismith went back home and began to teach it to some young college students, calling himself the creator of it. I think not.

Well, happy Black History Month.

Oh, yes…before I end.

I think that it is interesting that during this season of much international unrest… I think that it is interesting that many who questioned President Barack Obama’s community oragnizing credentials… evidently never sat in on any community meetings.

They don’t know anything about the fights or the outburst of angry and outrage that can erupt during community meetings. If they had had any understanding… they would have realized that a man… or any woman with Obama’s community organizing credentials would be just the right thing for this season in terms of international turmoil. You need somebody who can get in trenches and knows how to hold his own…to deal with these kind of elements of emotional revolts and religious extremism.

Since the Egyptians have finally over a series of a few days managed to chase out their oppressor from office over them…it has given strenght now to other 3rd World Countries looking at that picture to believe that they also have the strenght to seize their freedom too.

It is kind of like the elephant… who as a little baby elephant is tied into place with a little stick. But being that elephants have long memories… the baby elephant when it grows up does not know it now has the strenght to break free from anything that might try to hold it or contain it. But if that elephant were ever to see another elephant break free… it might also come to realize that strenght that is in his hands as well.

So, we see the children who have grown up…and now determine for themselves not live as their parents had… passively. From the Middle East to North Africa their is unrest… Libya, Tunisia, Bahrain and, Yemen. And make no mistake…at ever turn America’s interest is vastly at stake. And I have no doubt that Obama has his eyes keenly on these places, the voices of the people…and those that are soon to pop up on the scene too… hot spots… all over.

I for 1 am happy that we now have somebody in the White House who is not operating with split interests. But someone who cares about us… the American people… and not future riches for him and his clonies…like the George W. Bush clan.

Well, God bless…hope you enjoy the rest of your evening and this Black History Month.